Thermochemical material removal



Feb. 10, 1953 E. MEINCKE THERMOCHEMICAL MATERIAL REMOVAL Filed May 21, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR EDWARD MEINCKE ATTORNEY Feb. 10, 1953 Y E. MElNCKE 2,527,826

THERMOCHEMICAL MATERIAL REMOVAL Filed May 21, 1949 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 2 INVENTOR EDWARD MEINCKE 'ATTOREY Patented Feb. 10, 1953 THERMOCHEMICAL MATERIAL REMOVAL Edward Meincke, Summit, N. J assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, a corporation of New York Application May 21, 1949, Serial No. 94,663

17 Claims.

This invention relates to thermochemical material removal, and more particularly to .a method and apparatus employing adjuvant powder in conjunction with oxy-aoetylene material removal to facilitate the thermochemical reaction; and constitutes in part a direct and mesne continuation of my copending application Serial No. 547,062 filed July 28, 1944'and now Patent No. 2,470,999, and in part a continuation of my copending application Serial No. (585,871 filed July 24, 1946, now abandoned.

An important object of this invention is to provide improved method and apparatus for removing material thermochemically at a' greatly increased rate andwith increased efficiency.

. Other objects are to increase the sp ed of the relative movement between an oxidizing gas stream and a body of material for a given quantity of material removed; and to increase the quantity of material removed during relative movement between an oxidizing gas stream and a body of material at a given speed.

While the adjuvant powder may be satisfactorily projected in a single jet, slight variations in the method or apparatus may prevent this powder stream from striking the oxygen stream coincident with the line of out. It is therefore another object of the present invention to avoid this difficulty, and to introduce the powder so as to produce an envelope of burning powder surrounding at least the leading or lagging edge of the material removing oxygen stream.

Other objects are to provide even distribution of the adjuvant powder supply to several adjuvant powder jets, to cause the adjuvant powder to impinge against the oxygen stream at approximately the point of impact of the oxygen stream upon the material or between the point of impact and the nozzle, to project the adjuvant powder stream or streams with sufiicient velocity to blow the adjuvantpowder through the preheat flame envelope and be preheated to its oxygen ignition temperature and then impinge against the stream of material removing oxygen, to provide apparatus for carrying out the foregoing objects, and to provide an attachment for supplying adjuvant powder to standard nozzles and blowpipes.

According to the present invention, material of such material, for example, carbon steel, low alloy steel, or stainless steel, as by cutting, flame machining, deseaming, desurfacing or boring, by

directing against a regionof the surface of said body on the path where the operation is to begin a preheat flame envelope, directing one or more streams of combustible adjuvant powder from outside said preheat flame envelope through said envelope to heat said powder to its oxygen'ignition temperature, and igniting and burning the powder by directing a jet of oxygen from inside said preheat flame envelope against both the heated powder and the body, to propagate the heat of combustion of the powder to the body. A portion of the body in the starting region is in this way promptly raised to its oxygen ignition temperature and is ignited in the flowing stream of oxygen. After ignition of the body the flowing oxygen'jet is advancedrapidly over a selected path relatively to the body-while additional adjuvant powder is continuously applied alongthe path within successive regions of the body upon which the oxygen jet impinges, thereby oxidizing successive portions of the body. When a plurality of streams of adjuvant powder are employed, they are directed from outside said preheat flame envelope in converging relation through said preheat flame envelope, and the stream of material removing oxygen is directed from inside said preheat flame envelope through the point of convergence of said adjuvant powder streams to burn powder while the oxygen stream impels it toward said region and to impinge upon said region contiguous to said preheat flame envelope and propagate the heat of combustion of said adjuvant powder to said body to supplement the surface heating effect of said flame and promote the material removing action of said stream of oxygen. The convergent streams of adjuvant powder can be introduced on either the leading or lagging edge of the oxygen stream, and preferably should be in a plane inclined to the preheat envelope and to the oxygen stream.

The adjuvant powder comprises a highly combustible material such as powdered iron, low carbon steel, cast iron or ferromanganese and mixtures of such metals with one another and other materials, such as manganese, and is suspended in a stream of air or other suitable gas.

The' oxygen, preheat envelope and powder stream may be applied simultaneously, or in any desired sequence. For cutting stainless steel for example it is desirable to continue the powder stream, after the out has been started, and progress the stream of oxygen, preheat flame envelope, and adjuvant powder stream along the path of out while maintaining constant their relation to each other.

3 One embodiment of the present invention employs a nozzle cluster or block having a bore for receiving a standard or conventional oxy-fuel blowpipe and. a bore at one side thereof to form a powder chamber. From the bottom of the powder chamber a plurality of passages extend in converging relation to a point below the outlet of the oxy-fuel nozzle. The axes these passages lie in a plane inclined to the oxygen passage of the nozzle and terminate in orifices arranged in a row outside of the ring to preheat gas orifices of the nozzle. The powder chamber contains a baifie to provide even distribution of adjuvant powder to the several passages.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a part of a form of apparatus according to, and for carrying out the method of the present invention;

' Fig. 1a is a bottom end view of the apparatus e shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing a modified arrangement of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a blowpipe according to, and for carrying out the method of i the present invention;

Fig.4 isv a vertical section through the nozzles shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a further modified form of apparatus;-

Fig. 6 is, a section taken along line 5-45 of 5; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The broad idea of the invention is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 1, 1a, and 2, in which there is shown an ordinary cutting nozzle N of well known construction, used in conjunction with a separate adjuvant powder supply nozzle B. The lower portion of the powder nozzle B is inclined toward the cutting nozzle N and has its outlet closely adjacent the lower end of the latter in position for discharging the stream of powder P between the preheat orifices 9 at a sufficient velocity to penetrate the preheat flame envelop F and impinge against the central oxygen stream 0. The powder nozzle B leads the cutting nozzle N as the two nozzles progress in unison across the surface of the billet W to form the ker-f. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the powder nozzle B is so positioned relative to the cutting nozzle N as to follow or lag behind the latter as they traverse the surface.

Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings show the invention as embodied in a hand manipulated cutting blowpipe I0, which is supplied with oxygen and acetylene through hoses l2 and [3 controlled by valves 14 and 15 respectively. A portion of the oxygen is mixed with the acetylene within the blowpipe in a well known manner, to form a combustible gas mixture which flows through the conduit I6; to the cutting-nozzle N, from which it is discharged and burned to form a preheating flame. The balance of the oxygen is employed for thecutting operation and flows to the nozzle N'through a conduit H having a shut off valve controlled by a valvelever 18.

A powder dispenser such as is shown in Patent 2,327.33? granted August 24, 1943, to C. J. Burch and W; G. Edwards, supplies gas laden with suitable combustible adjuvantpowder to the blowpipe in through a hose 20. The powder laden gas passes througha conduit; 211 to a valve 22 which controls the flow thereof; and is actuated by a handle 23 or the handle of the blowpipe. From the valve 22 the powder laden gas passes through a conduit 23 to the powder nozzl B, and is discharged to aid in the cutting operation.

The cutting nozzle N as shown in Fig. 4 is pro vided with a central cutting oxygen passage 26 for projecting the cutting oxygen jet 0, and a plurality of preheat gas passages 22 with outlets arranged in an annular zone surrounding the central passage for providing the ring of preheat flame F around the central oxygen jet. The nozzle N is secured to the blowpipe head H by a nozzle nut 28, the bore of which is enlarged to receive a sleeve 29 surrounding the nozzle N and having an outwardly extending flange 38 bearing against the inner end of the nut 23. To the bottom of the sleeve 23 is secured a bracket 32 havin a bore aligned with the sleeve 29 to receive "the nozzle N. The bracket 32 preferably xtends laterally, perpendicular to the axis of thenozzle N and is bored at an angle of the order oi 25 to receive the powder nozzle 13. The adaptor 32 also includes a fitting 33 which connects to the nozzle B the powder tube 241. The nozzle nut 28, sleeve 29 and its flange 36 constitut a clamp, which is releasable to permit the bracket 32 to be adjusted circumferentially about the. nozzle N without changing the acute angle of the adjuvant powder nozzle B with respect to th oxygen passage, 25.

In operating the blowpipe shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the valves Hi and iii are adjusted to provide a preheating as mixture which, when ignited. will form flames F of sufilcient heating intensity to heat at least the adjuvant powder to its oxygen ignition temperature. The preheating flames are then directed against the edge of the billet W and the oxygen and powder control levers i8 and 23 respectively, are depressed by the operator while he holds the blowpipe at a large angle to the surface such that the oxygen jet 0 will penetrate deeply into the billet. The adjuvant powder stream P instantly ignites and burns in contact with the surface of the billet W thereby heatin a small portion of the latter to its oxygen ignition temperature almost simultaneously and initiating combustion. The blowpipe i9 is then moved across the billet W parallel to its top surface to advance the jet of oxygen, the stream of adjuvant powder, and the preheat flames in unison, thereby igniting and burning successive portions of the body and leaving a kerf.

In the form shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the adjuvant powder is introduced from a plurality oi orifices D arranged outside of the preheat envelope F and inclined inwardly to project a plurality of adjuvant powder jets P obliquely through the preheat envelope in converging relation toward the central oxygen stream 0. In the form shown the adjuvant powder orifices D are arranged in a row outside of the. preheat envelope, the adjuvant powder jets, P lie in a plane inclined toward the preheat envelope and the oxygen stream,.and the jets P converge and intersect th central oxygen stream 0 at a point A, which is below the outlet of the nozzle N; and approximately at or slightly above the point or" impact of the oxygen stream upon the work W.

The jets of adjuvant powder are blown through the preheat envelope and converge to form an envelope of burning powder surrounding at least the leading edge of the material removing oxygen stream. The. powder. streams. P discharge from the, powder. orifices. D. with suilicient velocity to be blown through the preheat gas envelope, im

pinging against the oxygen stream 0, being pre heated to the oxygen ignition temperature of the powder meanwhile. 1

The adjuvant powder is supplied by a nozzle block or cluster 40 which has a bore 42 to receive the oxy fuel nozzle N. At one side of the bore 42 the block 40 is provided with a bore 44 to form a powder chamber.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the block 40 is drilled to form three converging passages 45, 46 and 41 which have their axes inclined to the bore 42, the passages 45 and 41 inclining from the sides of the larger bore 44, and the passage 46 extending from the center thereof. These three passages terminate in the orifices D at the bottom of the nozzle block 40.

In order to cause the powder, as it exists from these three passages to be evenly distributed between the three, a bafiie 50 is inserted in the bore 44. The bafile 50 comprises a hollow tube closed at its lower end and provided with a plurality of small drilling outlets 52 spaced around the periphery near the bottom. The powder inlet tube 24 enters the upper or open end of the baflie 5B and a collar 53 centers the baflle within the bore 44 to leave an annular space around the baliie. The inlet tube 24' is secured'in the collar 53, for example, by silver solder and the collar 53 is similarly secured in the vbore 44.

The powder-laden gas stream from the inlet 24 passes into the bafiie 50 and through the outlets 52 filling the annular space around and under the bafiie, and passes out through the three converging powder passages 45, 46 and 41.

The nozzle block 40 is secured to the nozzle .N by a tapered split ring 54 which engages a similarly tapered section of the bore 42 and is contracted by the force of a cap screw 55. When thus secured in position, the nozzle block serves to locate the powder passages 45, 46 and 41 in fixed relation to the oxygen stream 0, such that they converge toward a point below the mouth of the nozzle N along the axis of the oxygen stream. The cap screw 55 serves to release the clamp to permit the nozzle bracket or block 40 to be circumferentially adjusted about the nozzle N without changing the acute angular disposition of the adjuvant powder passages 45, 46 and 41 with respect to each other and to the axis of the nozzle N. V

I claim:

1. Apparatus for thermochemically removing material from a body of such material which comprises nozzle means having first passage means for directing an oxygen stream against said body, second passage means inclined downwardly toward said first passage means for directing a stream of adjuvant powder into said oxygen stream below said nozzle means, and third passage means between said first and second passage means for directing a preheating flame so as to intersect said stream of adjuvant powder and heat particles thereof to their ignition tem-- perature enroute to said oxygen stream; and a source of powder in communication with said second passage means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in com bination with additional adjuvant powder passage means in converging relation with said second passage means and intersecting the same at substantially the point of intersection of said preheating flame therewith.

3. Apparatus for thermochemical removal of material from a body of such material which comprises means for directing against said body a preheat envelope, means for directing a plurality of streams of adjuvant powder inwardly through said envelope in converging relation to a point therewithin, and means for directing a stream of material removing oxygen against said body from within said preheat envelope and through the point of convergence of said adjuvant powder streams.

4. Apparatus for thermochemical removal of material from a body of such material which comprises a nozzle having a longitudinal oxygen passage for directing against said body a stream of material removing oxygen, said nozzle having a group of preheat gas passages surrounding said oxygen passage for directing against said body a preheat flame envelope surrounding said material removing oxygen stream, and means forming a group of orifices outside the outlets of said preheat gas passages and provided with passages inclined inwardly toward the axis of said oxygen passage in converging relation for directing a plurality of streams of adjuvant powder from said orifices through said preheat flame envelope in converging relation and inclined to said oxygen stream and toward a point in said oxygen stream below the outlet end of said nozzle.

5. Blowpipe apparatus comprising a nozzle having a longitudinal oxygen passage and a group of preheat gas passages surrounding said oxygen passage, and a member surrounding said nozzle and provided with a plurality of adjuvant powder passages outside of said nozzle and converging to a point on the axis of said longitudinal oxygen passages below the outlet end of said nozzle.

6. Blowpipe apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said adjuvant powder passages have outlet orifices arranged in a rowoutside the outlet orifices of said preheat passages, and said adjuvantpowder passages have axes lying in a plane inclined to the axis of said oxygen passage.

7. Blowpipe apparatus comprising a nozzle having a longitudinal oxygen passage and a group of preheat passages surrounding said oxygen passage, a nozzle block mounted on said nozzle having a bore forming a powder chamber and a plurality of powder passages leading from said powder chamber andconverging toward the axis of said oxygen passage below the outlet thereof; means for supplying adjuvant powder to said chamber; and a baffle inside said chamber for causing even distribution of the adjuvant powder to said converging passages.

8. Blowpipe apparatus comprising a nozzle block having a bore adapted to receive an oxyfuel nozzle, and a bore-at one side thereof forming an adjuvant powder chamber, said block having passages leading from the bottom of said chamber and inclined and converging toward the axis of said nozzle bore, a bafiie in said powder chamber comprising a tube of smaller diameter closed at its lower end and having outlets spaced around its periphery near the bottom, and a powder inlet at the top of said tube whereby adjuvant powder from said inlet passes through said bafile and its outlets into the annular space around and below the baflle, and is uniformly distributed to said several passages.

9. Apparatus for thermochemical removal of material from a body of such material, which comprises a nozzle having passages for directing against said body a preheat envelope and a stream of material removing oxygen from within said preheat envelope, and a powder block having means for directing a plurality of streams of adjuvant powder inwardly through said. en-

elope in c nversin re a ion. o s doxy en stream, said-powder block beingmounted on said nozzle in detachable: relation whereby it can be removed and replaced atwill.

10. An adjuvant powder projecting adaptor, comprising ablockhaving abore adapted to receive an oxy-fuel nozzle, said block. having an adjuvant powder distributing chamber formed therein, and said block also being provided with a plurality of adjuvant, powder passages leading fromsaid distributing chamber in said block in converging relation to the axis of said nozzle receiving bore in said block at a'region below the lower end of, said bore.

11. Powder cutting adaptor for an, ox-y-fuel blowpipehaving a nozzle provided with a longitudinal oxygen passage and a group of preheat passages surrounding said oxygen passage, comprising a clamp concentric with saidnozzl for mounting said adaptor on said blowpipe, and a bracket inclining laterally therefrom, said bracket having at the outer end thereof spaced from said clamp adjuvant powderpassage means extending downwardly and; inwardly at an acute angle to said oxygen passage, said clamp bein releasable to permit said bracketto be adjusted circumferentially about said nozzle and received in selected positions without changing the acute angle of said adjuvantpowder passage means with respectrtosaidmzygenpassage.

12. In apparatus:for-thermochemical removal of material from a body of such material, a nozzle having passages; for directing against said body a preheat, envelope and astream, of material removing oxygen from within said preheat envelope; in combination with a powder block having means for-directing a-plurality of streams of adjuvant powder inwardly through said envelope in converging relation to said, oxygen stream, said powder blockbeing mounted on said nozzle in detachable relation whereby it can be removed and replaced at will.

13. In apparatus for thermochemical removal of-material from, a'body-of such material, a block having: a bore for receiving an oxy-fuel nozzle, said; block having an adjuvant powderdistributing chamberformed therein and a plurality of adjuvant powder passages leading from said distributing chamber in converging relation to the axis of said nozzle receiving bore at aregion below the lower end of saidbore.

14. Apparatus for thermochemically removing material from a body of such material which comprises nozzle means having first passage means for directing; an oxygen stream against said body, second passage means inclined, inwardly toward the outlet end of said firstpassage 8 means for directing a, stream of adjuvant powder into said oxygen stream below saidnozzle means, and third passage means between said first and second passage means for directing a preheating flame so as to intersect said stream of adjuvant powder and heat particles thereof to. their ignition temperature enroute to said oxygen. stream.

15. A cutting torch of the type in which there is provided a torch tip having a. central high pressure oxygen passage and an, annular row of flame passages encirclingtheoxygen passage, said torch being characterizedby means for projecting flux powder between successive flames'of said row and into the oxygen stream beyond the end of thetip.

16. Apparatus for thermochemically removing material fromv a body of such material which comprises. nozzle means having first passage means for directing an oxygen stream against said body, a single second passage inclined inwardly toward the outlet end of said first passage means for directing a single stream of adjuvant powder into said oxygen stream below said nozzle means, and third passage means between said first passage means and said second passage for directing a preheating flame so as to intersect said stream of adjuvant powder and heat particles thereof to their ignition temperature enroute to said oxygen stream.

17. A cutting torch having. a cutting tip provided with a central oxygen passage and an annular row of passages for combustible gaseous mixture, and means for projecting flux powder into the oxygen stream beyond the end of the tip, said means including a member having an aperture therein receiving said tip and provided with passages for flux powder at an angle to the oxygen passage of the tip.

EDWARD MEINCKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,205,890 Nicholson et al. June '25, 1940 2,337,087 Deck Dec. 21, 1943 2,415,815 Deming Feb. 18, 1947 2,444,900 Meincke et al July 6, 1948 2,451,422 Wagner Oct. 12, 1948 2,470,999 Meincke Mayf2a, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 426,999 Germany Dec. 31,1926 

1. APPARATUS FOR THERMOCHEMICALLY REMOVING MATERIAL FROM A BODY OF SUCH MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES NOZZLE MEANS HAVING FIRST PASSAGE MEANS FOR DIRECTING AN OXYGEN STREAM AGAINST SAID BODY, SECOND PASSAGE MEANS INCLINED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID FIRST PASSAGE MEANS FOR DIREACTING A STREAM OF ADJUVANT POWDER INTO SAID OXYGEN STREAM BELOW SAID NOZZLE MEANS, AND THIRD PASSAGE MEANS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGE MEANS FOR DIRECTING A PREHEATING FLAME SO AS TO INTERSECT SAID STREAM OF ADJUVANT POWDER AND HEAT PARTICLES THEREOF TO THEIR IGNITION TEMPERATURE ENROUTE TO SAID OXYGEN STREAM; AND A SOURCE OF POWDER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SECOND PASSAGE MEANS. 